5 Things You can Do to Take the Anxiety Out of Turbulence

No one really likes turbulence—unless you’re a little kid who thinks it feels like an amusement park ride—but some people get more anxious than others or tend to feel sick when the plane rocks and rolls. Here are 5 simple things you can do to stay cool and calm when the weather gets rough.

1. Select a seat as close to the front of the cabin as possible, where the ride tends to be less bumpy than it is farther back because the plane literally fishtails.

2. When you board the airplane, ask a crew member whether they expect any turbulence. That way you’ll be mentally prepared and, if you tend to get air sick, you can take a Dramamine or put on a patch before the turbulence actually occurs.

3. If you see crew members buckled into their seats, you need to sit down and buckle up too! They’re in communication with cockpit and know what’s going on in the air. Turbulence is no joke, you can get badly hurt if you are not careful.

4. If you do run into turbulence, remember to take deep breaths. When people are stressed they tense up and often forget to breathe. Deep breathing actually relaxes you. Why? As stated on the LIVESTRONG website “The parasympathetic nervous system works in conjunction with the sympathetic nervous system, triggering the body to secrete hormones to decrease blood pressure and heart rate, inducing a relaxation response. Breathing deeply and mindfully helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to trigger this response.”

5. No matter the weather, always keep your seat belt buckled so that you won’t be taken by surprise and can be confident that you won’t be hurt. Remember, there can always be clear air turbulence (at any moment of the flight) that doesn’t show up on the pilot’s radar.

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